Unrepentant Sunroad agrees to lower building

Structure near Montgomery Field will be altered to 'FAA-approved height'

Sanders last night supported Sunroad's decision to demolish the top portion of the building. But “that's only a positive development if it adheres to the 160-foot height limit on a verifiable timeline,” he said.

Sunroad officials did not make clear how the building specifically would be reduced. Crovella declined to discuss the company's plans to meet the federal safety guidelines in any detail.

But in a letter sent to the City Attorney's Office yesterday afternoon, Sunroad said it would begin meeting with city officials soon and submit a demolition schedule before July 10.

Because the work is costly and intricate, however, the removal of the top section was unlikely to meet an Aug. 25 deadline imposed by Sanders on Thursday, Crovella said.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor credited the company – and city officials – for finally agreeing to comply with federal guidelines.

“The FAA has always maintained that anything over 160 feet was a hazard to air navigation,” Gregor said late last night. “Our role in the process was very important but very limited. . . . It was really up to the local government to decide what to do with our determination. Unfortunately construction occurred before we reviewed the proposal.”

News of the decision also made the rounds quickly among other elected officials and airport users.

An indignant Councilwoman Donna Frye said it was too bad Sunroad executives took so long to change their minds. She said the company should also drop its countersuit against the city.

“It doesn't sound like they've learned their lesson,” Frye said. “Sunroad's main interest is private profits and not the public interest and certainly not the public safety. They've

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
At last night's news conference outside the Sunroad office building under construction in Kearny Mesa, an attorney for Sunroad Enterprises said the company will lower the tower to comply with federal aviation height limits.

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
At last night's news conference outside the Sunroad office building under construction in Kearny Mesa, an attorney for Sunroad Enterprises said the company will lower the tower to comply with federal aviation height limits.

been thumbing their nose at the community for over a year now.” The tower is in Frye's council district.

Rick Beach, a longtime San Diego pilot who is also a member of the city's airport advisory committee, called Sunroad's about-face “an outcome that represents the best of taking a principle and sticking with it.”

He speculated that the loss of so much political support, particularly from Sanders, finally forced the company's hand. But he still wondered why Sanders waited so long to stop construction.

The mayor “had many opportunities to take a principled stand and for months and months and months, he essentially had it both ways,” Beach said. “Yes, Sunroad can have the building, and yes the pilots will be safe.”